Fiber patch cord testing standards cover three key dimensions: optical performance, physical parameters, and environmental reliability, and must strictly adhere to international and industry standards

The following are the core test items and standard requirements:

Optical Performance Testing

Insertion Loss (IL)

Standard Limit: ≤0.2dB for single mode fiber patch cable (general requirement); ≤0.3dB for multimode patch cable.

Test Method: Using a stable light source and an optical power meter, measure the loss of the patch cord under test after calibration with a master patch cord (the full link loss must include connector loss).

Return Loss (RL)

Standard Limits: Single-mode UPC ≥ 50dB (APC ≥ 60dB), PC ≥ 30dB.

Test Method: Use an insertion loss & return loss meter combined with a winding method (winding at least 5 turns) to observe RL stability.

Endface Geometry

Curvature Radius: 10–25mm (7.69mm deviation is common in actual measurements).

Vertex Offset: ≤ 50μm (offset exceeding 14.45μm affects alignment accuracy).

Fiber Height: ≤ 50nm (excessive height may result in physical damage or air gaps).

Connector Mechanical Performance

Physical Properties and Durability Testing

Plug-in/Unplug Life: IL ≤ 0.3dB after >1000 cycles.

Tensile Strength: The cable can withstand a tensile force of ≥200N, with a minimum bend radius of 30mm.

Environmental Adaptability

Temperature Cycling: Additional attenuation ≤ 0.2dB/km in an environment from -40°C to +80°C.

High/Low-Temperature Stability: Attenuation change ≤ 0.05dB/km after 72 hours of cycling from -10°C to +45°C.

Key test instruments and methods

Test Items Instruments Key Operational Points

Full-length attenuation and fault location OTDR The blind zone must be ≤30m, allowing for accurate identification of incident points on short patch cords (e.g., 3-meter patch cords).

Endface cleanliness End-face Tester Directly observe end-face oil stains and scratches (requires 100x magnification or greater).

Dispersion and wavelength characteristics Spectrum Analyzer Single-mode fiber dispersion at 1525–1575nm must be ≤5.3 ps/(nm·km).

OFC Patch Cod Test International Standards

Optical fiber standards (IEC 60793 series)

These include IEC 60793-1-1 (general specifications), IEC 60793-1-2 (dimensional parameters), IEC 60793-1-3 (mechanical properties), IEC 60793-1-4 (transmission characteristics), and IEC 60793-1-5 (environmental performance). These standards define the core diameter, cladding dimensions, tensile strength, and operating temperature range (e.g., -40°C to +80°C) of fiber optic patch cables.

Optical fiber cable standards (IEC 60794 series)

These include IEC 60794-1-1 (general specifications) and IEC 60794-1-2 (performance test methods), focusing on attenuation, bend loss, and durability testing for optical cables. These standards are suitable for patch cables used in long-distance transmission applications.

ITU-T G.650 series

Standardizes macrobending loss test methods, removing the patch cord cutoff wavelength test (due to its diminished practical significance).

National standard YD/T 901

 Clarifies the attenuation limit for multimode fiber (≤2.5dB/km at 850nm).

Note: Testing must distinguish between single-mode (yellow/blue patch cords) and multimode (gray/orange patch cords) fiber types to avoid mixing and mismatching, which can lead to false measurements.